


Road to Forgiveness

by LotharWinchester



Series: Fallout Snippets/ Shorts [37]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, M/M, Multi, Not Beta Read, because i'm only good at sad shit, fallout 3 pairing is only mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-18 23:51:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12398790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LotharWinchester/pseuds/LotharWinchester
Summary: A year later, Arthur Maxson is still haunted by his broken relationship with Milo West.





	Road to Forgiveness

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: I don't own anything fallout related, bethesda does. 
> 
> this fic is set in the same universe as my work: FMLYHM ( http://archiveofourown.org/works/7873108/chapters/17980465)
> 
> i'm so close to my 100th fanfic it's crazy. I might actually hit it soon if i keep updating regularly.

It was a shock to see Milo in his X-01 power armor. At 6′9′’, he had a limited number of suits that actually fit. Arthur grunted as he stood to face his former Paladin. 

_ You deserve everything coming to you, Maxson. _

“I need some back up to assist settlements near Diamond City.” his deep baratone voice stayed impassive at the command. It burned Arthur to his core and hurt far more than the flames of his beloved warship when it fell from the sky. 

“Give me five minutes.” Arthur grunted as he dusted his hands off on his tight fitting jeans. 

_ You’re nothing but a petulant child playing war with other people’s lives. I won’t stand for it anymore. I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner.  _

They set off in silence. The only noise that seeped through their power armor coms was their breathing and Dogmeat’s occasional whine. The dog was to smart for his own good. The amount of time the German Shepard had spent on the Prydwen in Arthur’s quarters was enough for the dog to figure out his complicated relationship with the Sole Survivor. What had started off as mutual release ended up cutting the last living Maxson deeper than he could have ever imagined. 

Although the settlements that needed help were near the great green jewel, Milo stopped at every settlement along the way. That meant they were building  new wells or fixing old turrets from Tenpine’s Bluff, Abernathy Farm, and several others until they hit the two settelments that needed help the most; Oberland Station and Hangman’s Alley. 

_ You’ve rode the coattails of your family’s name your entire life and think you care about your stupid fuckling legacy. And carrying on your goddamn bullshit family name.  _

Each settlement they stopped at put more and more tension on Arthur’s already frayed nerves. They hadn’t spent this much time together in almost a year, before everything fell apart with Danse. With the exception of the Vaultie carrying him out of and away from the Prydwen wreckage. 

_ Danse is more human than you’ll ever be.  _

By the time they made it to Hangman’s Alley, Arthur was exhausted. The silver band and single holotag that dangled around his neck on Jessica Maxson’s thin chain weighed more than they should. The fact that Milo never knew about the ring still gutted him.

 

Similar to the previous settlements, the settlers were grateful for the help. Super mutants, ghouls, and raiders had been hounding Hangman’s Alley at a rate that Diamond City Security and the settlement's defense systems could keep up. They spend days working side by side in relative silence (unless a settler or two was working with them) and their nights in one of the  shared rooms they’d build so more settlers could come once they left. Each room was stacked high and had multiple systems of ladders to get to each level. More stores and supply depots were built to hold produce away from raiding parties.   
  
Towards the tail end of their two week stay, Milo found out where Arthur went every night after the General finally managed to sleep. Arthur could not stay in their shared quarters, it was a painful reminder that they would never share the same room  like they had the year prior. Back when Danse had been an integral part of the Brotherhood and Arthur was coming to terms with his new boundaries with Milo.  The corner above the settlement’s work bench area suited him fine and held off the cold that his battle coat couldn’t. He’d sneak out of the room around midnight and his body’s conditioning roused him from his troubled sleep around five thirty. That gave him enough time to get ready before Milo awoke to get whatever the next project was done that day. Without the constant pain of seeing Milo within reach. He’d craved the warmth of the other man’s body beside him like it had been before  Danse’s painful reveal.    
  
It was the familiar drag of Milo’s gun calloused fingers that awoke him from his tormented sleep around two in the morning. The once vibrant different colored eyes stared dully at the ring and holotag.     
  


“I thought I lost this on the Prydwen.” His voice was low and soft to keep the settlers out of their business. “Why do you still have it?” 

 

Arthur froze as Milo’s fingers unlatched the chain. He tried to swallow as Milo left the ring on and slid the tag into the pocket of his sleep pants. When Arthur said nothing, he nodded once and reclasped the chain around Arthur’s neck.  Before he could get a word out, Milo was gone.    
  


They continued their minimal conversations and Milo’s impassive stare when it came to him. The settlers noticed within the first two days but said nothing. They were glad for the help and didn’t want to jeopardize Milo’s good mood towards them.  Arthur frankly didn’t want them to either because this as one of the rare times he got to see Milo smile and laugh. To see the light in his eyes briefly return. 

 

Their last night in the Alley, one of the settlers approached Arthur while he was on watch. The older man smiled and handed Arthur his battle coat back. He’d offered to sew the latest batch of tears in the material from their trek.  He thanked the man and slid the coat on in order to get ready for his spot in the corner. The guard duty shift kept him out of the room with Milo and he wouldn’t have to return.    
  
“Deep down, I believe he still cares for you.” Arthur paused and turned on his heels, “Look, I don’t know what went on between you two but you have the pain of a broken heart written all over your face. We all see the way you reach for the chain around your neck when he isn’t looking at you.” Arthur tried to speak but the man held his hand up. “He wouldn’t have brought you with him if he didn’t trust you. He wouldn’t have saved you from the suicider if he didn’t care about you.” Arthur flinched at the memory of Milo’s newest scars on his right arm. “I’ve been around long enough to know that you don’t let someone you care that deeply for go, no matter how hard things are between you.” 

 

Arthur nodded as the man gently rested a bony hand on his shoulder and took his spot at the guard post. “ Thank you for all you have done here.” 

* * *

 

They left early in the morning to get more  ground covered so the next day or so could be traveled at an easier pace.   However, a harsh rad storm held them at bay just after Grey Garden. Milo set his power armor to block the door and mines out front of the half dilapidated house they had sought shelter in.  Feral ghouls skittered around outside trying to find them for a while until the gave in about a half an hour later. The Rad-Away bag he’d given Milo had finished by then.  The Pre War dweller had loathed to admit how harshly radiation affected him compared to Arthur and the other wastelanders. His immunity had built up slightly since he awoke from Vault 111 but not by much. Even the slight radiation coming in from a small hole in his armor had almost made him useless for an hour after the bag was done. 

“Why did you keep it?” Arthur tried to ignore the twinge of pain he felt at the sound of milo’s voice. He sounded sick. ‘My holotag.” 

Arthur said nothing and checked the two small holes in the boarded up windows to see what the ghouls were up to.     
  


“Fine, if you won’t answer that, why do you have the ring on your mother’s chain?” Milo  shook his head and gently rested it against the cool wall, “What, were you going to ask me to marry you?” his joking tone had an immediate effect, the sudden tension in Arthur’s shoulders said enough. “ _ Arthur.. _ ” 

“Don’t.” The 10mm pistol in Arthur’s hand was quickly sheathed as he growled in Milo’s general direction. “You have no idea…”  The sound of his jaw clicking shut echoed in the silent room.    
  
“How long?” Arthur turned from his watch as Milo shakily stood. “How long have you had the ring?”  Milo almost snarled when Arthur didn’t answer. “How long have you been wearing the fucking ring,Arthur?!” 

Neither seemed to recall the ferals outside as their voices rose. “Does it fucking matter?” Arthur hissed, “It won’t change anything! You’ve made it very clear you’d rather be anywhere else but with me. I don’t know why you even chose me to fucking come with you!” 

“ _ How.long.? _ ” Milo firmly grasped the collar of Arthur’s battle coat in a show of sudden strength. “How long have you worn a goddamn ring you never thought would be on my finger?”  The ferals outside started to stir again at Milo’s snarl and everything Arthur had been holding back for over a year flew out of his mouth before he could stop it. 

“Before you finished the interceptor.” Milo froze and  Arthur barely slowed, “I had petitioned the other Elders with Cade and Quinlan’s help. All of the Proctors eventually backed me and I dealt with all of their bullshit reasons and they were each knocked down one by one.  They were going to bring it to a vote when you came back from your initial trip to the Institute.” 

Milo’s grip slowly slackened and the ferals started to growl outside. “I was going to ask you before you left but I wanted you to be solely focused on your son. Then… then there was never a time I thought was right. And with Danse’s… Danse’s identity revealed I..” Arthur swallowed, “I couldn’t let Danse stay   because of the Brotherhood. Regardless of my own feelings and my views on synths.” 

“What you said when you found out and after when we returned to the Prydwen…”

“I was livid at first.  I thought Danse knew and there was a high possibility you knew.  Danse never kept anything from you and when you told me you didn’t.. I realized how i’d treated you. You thought what I told you about my belief a synth who had done nothing wrong should be let go was a lie and i’d been lying to you all along. I knew no matter what I said wouldn’t change the fact you no longer trusted me.”  The dark chuckle that left his lips stopped Milo in his tracks. “I finally got word of the Elder’s vote shortly after the Institute was destroyed and you had left. They had approved and given me the go ahead.”

A shrill scream from outside drew them both to the hole in the boarding. A skinny young woman held herself over a crying bundle as the ferals that had followed them tore into her flesh. Arthur skirted around Milo’s armor and drew his gun. By the time they had killed all of the ferals, the woman lay prone, gasping for breath beside the bundle she had been protecting. 

Arthur knelt beside her and gently brushed the hair out of her eyes. He knew his fight with Milo had to be the cause of the ghoul attack. “I’m sorry.”     
  
“Please..” the woman seem to not register his words. “Please, my baby. Help my.. Littl..girl.”    
  


“What is her name?” Arthur swallowed as he gently lifted the unharmed baby off the road and into the crook of his arm. 

“Amelia…” The tiny baby screeched and the woman gently brushed her fingers along the baby’s arm to soothe her. “Please.. Protect her. We. we were going to Grey Garden.. I..” 

Milo swallowed as Arthur closed the woman’s eyes and snagged the bag she had been carrying off the road. He brought the baby back into their hideout and made sure she was safe before he started to bury her mother. 

* * *

The sun had set by the time they both finished digging the grave and covered it back up. They had switched off to take care of Amelia. Her blue eyes shone with her constant stream of tears. She did not like the bath Milo had given her in order to clean off the blood and grime.  

Arthur’s hands hurt by the time he slid the girl in the crook of his arm to feed her. He smiled softly as he watched her aggressively suckle her bottle for the second time that day. They had learned she prefered Arthur’s arms than Milo’s and the older man had held no qualms about it. 

Whatever kept her calm now that she had lost her mother was fine with him. 

“How do you know all of this?” he whispered as Arthur gently took the bottle away and shouldered her so he could slowly rub her back. 

“Many of the Paladins back in the Capitol had children.” Arthur sighed and tried to keep himself calm for the baby, “And when no one else could watch the infants, I was often times free and could watch them.”  He paused as he took the tiny blanket from Milo’s hand. “And when the Lone Wanderer had a kid after she lost her husband Butch, the baby would only stay calm with me and Lone. So I learned. I…” he gently switched Amelia to his other shoulder. “I wanted to learn for my kids as well.”    
  
“You had to have been..”   
  


“I was thirteen. About a year later, Lone died and I took care of her son until he died.”  Arthur sighed and allowed Milo to take the now calm baby. “He died shortly after I recovered from the Deathclaw attack.” 

A silent dinner followed between them. When dawn broke, they both gathered their things and Milo helped Arthur tie Amelia to his power armor handles.  She stared at the silver band around Arthur’s neck the whole way back home. 

  
  
  



End file.
